The invention relates to a sanitary outlet fitting having a liquid guide that opens in a fitting outlet, in the area of which a sanitary functional unit is provided that is embodied as an insertable cartridge. The liquid guide is adapted in the open cross-section, at least in the mouth area of the fitting outlet, to the insertable cartridge. The insertable cartridge can be inserted into the fitting outlet from the mouth side using a sleeve-shaped intermediate holder and is held releasably therein. The intermediate holder itself is releasably held in the fitting outlet using a screw or bayonet connection and the insertable cartridge is axially sealed on its supply-side circumferential edge area, with respect to the fitting outlet, using an annular seal.
In outlet fittings, a flow regulator, generally embodied as an insertable cartridge, is typically provided in the area of the fitting outlet. The flow regulator is intended to form a homogenous, non-spraying and, sometimes, sparkling-soft flow of water. This flow regulator can be inserted into a sleeve-shaped outlet mouthpiece that is releasably attached to the fitting outlet using a screw connection. This screw connection necessarily has a round outer cross-section for the outlet fitting in the area of its fitting outlet, which sharply limits the opportunities for esthetically configuring such outlet fittings. Moreover, an unattractive circumferential annular gap remains between the outlet mouthpiece and the adjacent region of the outlet fitting, which can also have a significant negative effect on the esthetic appearance of such outlet fittings. In addition, producing such outlet fittings is associated with significant complexity if the outer surfaces of the outlet mouthpiece and the outlet fitting are to be matched to one another.
DE 102 49 340 A1, discloses a sanitary outlet fitting whose liquid guide opens in a fitting outlet in the area of which a sanitary functional unit is provided that is embodied as an insertable cartridge. The liquid guide is adapted in its open cross-section, at least in the mouth area of the fitting outlet, to the insertable cartridge such that the latter can be inserted into the fitting outlet from the mouth side and is releasably held therein. The outlet fitting renders the outlet mouthpiece, which is otherwise customary, unnecessary. DE 102 49 340 A1 also discloses an embodiment in which the insertable cartridge is held in the fitting outlet using a sleeve-shaped intermediate holder. This intermediate holder is releasably held in the fitting outlet using a screw connection. In order to prevent creeping flows past the insertable cartridge between the inner circumference of the fitting outlet and the intermediate holder, a sealing ring is provided that effects radial sealing. Relatively tight production standards must be maintained in order to attain this radial sealing effect, however, and these production tolerances cannot be attained without relatively high production complexity. Moreover, there is the risk that the insertable cartridge and the intermediate holder carrying it will be screwed too deep and/or too tight beyond the normal measure into the fitting outlet due to the lack of an axial stop so that subsequent removal is difficult or these components are damaged by overloading during installation. Moreover, drops that collect on the cartridge housing can overflow onto the outlet fitting when an insertable cartridge has been screwed too deeply into the fitting outlet and can then move downward on the outer circumference of the outlet fitting, leaving unattractive drip marks.
DE 198 05 691 A discloses a sanitary outlet fitting having a liquid guide that opens into a fitting outlet. The fitting outlet, in whose area a flow regulator embodied as an insertable cartridge is provided, has in its mouth area an open cross-section that is adapted to the insertable cartridge. The flow regulator embodied as an insertable cartridge can be inserted into the fitting outlet from the mouth side and can be releasably held therein using an intermediate holder that is embodied as a threaded sleeve and that can be screwed into a female thread in the fitting outlet by means of a male thread provided on the sleeve circumference. A sealing ring is placed on the flow regulator, and it axially seals the insertable cartridge in its supply-side circumferential edge area in the fitting outlet. When pre-installed or uninstalled, the individual parts for the outlet fitting, including flow regulator 3, intermediate holder 4, and sealing ring 2, are at best only loose next to one another so that individual parts can easily be lost during storage or transport and ultimately are not available when needed.
CH 380 042 A and GB 1 282 957 A disclose aerated flow regulators that have a flow regulator housing, embodied as an air suction cylinder, that accommodates various water-guiding parts in its housing interior. The flow regulator housing can be used immediately, without an intermediate holder, in the fitting outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. On its outer housing circumference, the flow regulator housing also has a male thread that can be screwed into a female thread on the inner circumference of the fitting outlet. Since the flow regulators are held immediately in the fitting outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting, without an intermediate holder, these flow regulators and the associated outlet fittings must be adapted to one another, with the corresponding complexity in design and production.
An object of the present invention is to create an outlet fitting of the aforesaid type that can be produced with relatively low complexity and in which the risk of improper installation is significantly reduced.
This object is inventively attained with an outlet fitting of the aforesaid type in which securing and/or supporting on the intermediate holder occurs in the pre-installed and/or uninstalled position using the annular seal. Additionally, the annular seal has a cap shape, and in that the inner circumferential edge area of the annular seal is embodied as an annular sealing area and the outer circumferential edge area of the annular seal projects over the annular sealing area in a tube-like manner and is releasably held on the intermediate holder.
The inventive outlet fitting has an insertable cartridge that can be mounted in the fitting outlet using a sleeve-shaped intermediate holder such that the insertable cartridge is held in the fitting outlet. In order to prevent creeping flows in the area between the insertable cartridge and its intermediate holder and the inner circumference of the fitting housing, the insertable cartridge is held axially sealed in the fitting outlet. The insertable cartridge, using the intermediate holder that is supporting it, is inserted into the fitting outlet until the insertable cartridge is held, preferably in its supply side circumferential edge area, axially sealed in the fitting outlet. The axial seal prevents the insertable cartridge and its intermediate holder from being screwed in too much, so that improper installation is practically impossible in this regard. Because of the axial seal, the production tolerances can also be significantly more generous, which further simplifies the production and handling of the insertable cartridge provided for the inventive outlet fitting. In addition, however, the intermediate holder can also be held radially sealed in the fitting outlet. If the inventive outlet fitting has an axial seal on its insertable cartridge and additionally an axial seal on the associated intermediate holder, a sanitary fittings manufacturer has the option of deciding whether an axial seal, a radial seal, or the combination of one radial and one axial seal should be used in its sanitary fitting.
An axial seal also acts against undesired creeping flows in the area between the insertable cartridge and the intermediate holder.
In accordance with the invention, the insertable cartridge is secured and/or held on the intermediate holder in the pre-installed and/or uninstalled position using the annular seal. The annular seal has a cap shape in order to fix the insertable cartridge on the intermediate holder and also to be able to hold the functional unit formed by the insertable cartridge and intermediate holder in the pre-installed and/or uninstalled position. The inner circumferential edge area of the annular seal is configured as an annular sealing area, while the outer circumferential edge area of the annular seal projects over the annular sealing area in a tube-like manner and is releasably held on the intermediate holder.
One exemplary embodiment in accordance with the invention provides that the liquid guide has an annular shoulder in the area of the fitting outlet and that the annular seal is clamped between the insertable cartridge and the annular shoulder for axially sealing the insertable cartridge. This annular shoulder also acts as an insertion stop that limits the maximum depth the insertable cartridge can be inserted into the fitting outlet.
The annular shoulder can be formed by a change in the cross-section of the liquid guide or by an annular flange in the liquid guide. One embodiment in particular can be produced with relatively low complexity. In it, the annular shoulder is formed by a change in cross-section and especially by a jump in the diameter of the open flow cross-section in the insertion direction.
In order to effectively counteract unintended release of the annular seal from the intermediate holder, it is advantageous for the annular seal to be held on the intermediate holder in a friction and/or positive fit.
In order to ensure that the insertable cartridge is also properly positioned with respect to the intermediate holder, it is advantageous when the insertable cartridge can be inserted up to a stop in the intermediate holder.
In addition, a stop can be provided on the inner circumference of the intermediate holder. However, in one exemplary embodiment the stop is provided on the outer circumference of the insertable cartridge and acts on the supply-side face edge of the intermediate holder. The stop provided on the insertable cartridge or on the intermediate holder can be embodied as an annular shoulder or annular flange.
One aspect of the invention relates to a sanitary outlet fitting having a liquid guide that opens in a fitting outlet, in the area of which a sanitary functional unit embodied as an insertable cartridge is provided, the liquid guide being adapted in the open cross section, at least in the mouth area of the fitting outlet, to the insertable cartridge, which insertable cartridge can be inserted from the mouth side into the fitting outlet by means of a sleeve-shaped intermediate holder and is releasably held therein, and which intermediate holder for its part is releasably held in the fitting outlet by means of a screw or bayonet connection. In order to fix the insertable cartridge in the fitting outlet, using such an intermediate holder, and to be able to install the intermediate holder using a plug-in and/or rotational movement using a bayonet or screw connection in the fitting outlet, in accordance with this aspect the outflow-side face edge area for the intermediate holder has a profile embodied as a tool gripping surface such that in addition the intermediate holder and the rotation tool are provided and such that the profile of the intermediate holder can be releasably coupled to the profile of another, preferably identically structured, intermediate holder.
The inventive outlet fitting can especially make best use of its advantages when the insertable cartridge is embodied as a flow regulator or has a flow regulator.
Another embodiment in accordance with the invention provides that at least one annular seal is provided that seals radially in the annular space between the intermediate holder and the inner circumference of the fitting.
It is particularly advantageous when the annular seal is embodied as an elastic sealing ring. Such a sealing ring can also be removed when needed if, for instance, only the axial seal is to be used on the insertable cartridge. In order not to unintentionally lose the annular seal provided on the intermediate holder, it is useful when at least one annular seal is held on the intermediate holder in a groove on the outer circumference side.
Additional features of the invention result from the following description of inventive exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the claims and the drawings. The individual features can each be realized individually or a plurality can be realized in an embodiment in accordance with the invention.